title: Living on the edge.
abstract: This essay describes a remarkable patient with severe medical and psychological problems who died a tragic death when she was only 46 years old. Despite suffering early coronary artery disease, persistent abuse from her spouse, and caring for a daughter with severe physical handicaps, the patient did not complain or seek pity for her condition. Rather, through her belief in God and a focus on the day forward rather than the day behind, she reminds clinicians that the sum of a person's life is more than their medical problems. After the patient's death, her husband's medical problems force him to seek care; this raised ethical issues because the doctor who was treating him also cared for his wife.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. aog@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Adam O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology*